Vixen 03

Another installment in the Dirk Pitt series. Vixen 03 had a lot of moving components and was compelling, but honestly the rampant racism and sexism is too much to warrant a higher rating. When Dirk Pitt finds an oxygen tank and nose gear in his lovebird's cabin he desperately wants to know how they got there. He discovers a sunken plane at the bottom of the lake not far from the cabin. It's a military plane with no real records. Why? And what is up with the mysterious cargo? I will still probably continue with this series. It's exciting enough. 

Raise the Titanic

My favorite Dirk Pitt novel to date. I think it's mostly because I am partial to anything to do with the titanic. It was interesting because Dirk Pitt was hardly in the first third of the book because it took so long to set the scene. It was one heck of a tale, defied belief for a lot of it, but honestly... I was intrigued and it kept me going. Another macho adventure book down, many more in this series to go!

Iceberg

Eesh - one of the worst Clive Cussler books that I have read thus far. You can absolutely tell this one was written in the seventies it is oozing with homophobia and sexism. For over half the book Dirk Pitt pretends to be gay, and he does so in such an outlandish way, and at the very end of the book... WOW. I won't spoil that surprise if you're going to read it. There were far too many moving parts to this story, yet Dirk was always one step ahead. He is just too smart and the story is too over the top. I'll try out the next one in the series, but if it is as bad as this one, then I am done with Cussler!

The Mediterranean Caper

Wow - you can definitely tell this was written in the seventies. Chock full of adventure, big dick energy, and blatant sexism; the second Dirk Pitt novel was a gollywhopper. The plot of it was quite interesting, but the way Dirk Pitt treats women (he literally slaps one across the face because he is disgusted that she hasn't been with a man in ten years since her lover died) is... not great. The way he refers to Black people also leaves a lot to be desired. I know, I know - it's a product of it's time but man! Dirk Pitt is basically an American James Bond, and I guess I'm into that? I'll keep going with the series, I'm assuming it will get less exist the closer we get to the twenty first century?

Pacific Vortex

I listened to and enjoyed the Fargo Adventures by Clive Cussler - but maybe I went too far back in time for this one. Pacific Vortex is the first of the Dirk Pitt series. I've seen the movie Sahara, but that is all I know about Dirk and his exploits. The first novel was ok - but the old narration was not great and the story was not that thrilling. Very meh for me. I might continue with the series (only if the narrator changes though!). 

The Oracle

Is this series amazing... not really - but it keeps me entertained and I'll be damned if I don't finish it. The Oracle is the 11th installment of the Fargo Adventure series and follow Sam and Remi Fargo as they follow up on some funding inconsistencies at an archaeological site they are funding in Tunisia. As if that wasn't enough of a headache one of the supply trucks headed out to a girls school (that they also fund) is missing in transit. Is something nefarious going on? Not as much about treasure hunting as there other books, but it was still exciting. I really liked Nasha, a young stowaway that wins over the hearts of the Fargos and their friends. Implausible as always but a fast listen. 

The Gray Ghost

Until reading the reviews - I did not realize that this was a crossover book featuring Isaac Bell (the center of another Cussler series). However - that wouldn't have made to much difference to me. The story was slow and the treasure just meh. I wanted more historical info and actual treasure hunting. It was mostly just action. Honestly, it might be my least favorite so far - but of course I'll keep going - I am this close to the end - may as well finish out the series! 

The Romanov Ransom

To me this had the least amount of treasure or historical intrigue - but it did have a lot of adventure and it had believable bad guys (in comparison to the normal 2 dimensional thugs they usually square off against). The Fargos get a call that one of their employees has nephews that have gone off grid and could be in trouble. Sam and Remi decide to go to Morocco to investigate and in the process find themselves on the hunt for the Romanov Ransom. The problem is - they aren't the only ones looking for it. Slightly predictable - but always entertaining!

Pirate

The Fargo Adventures series really has its ups and downs. I enjoyed the last book tremendously and this one wasn't even close in comparison. It felt choppy and just when you think it's going to be a fun pirate adventure it turns out it's all about Robin Hood - scratch that - King John's treasure. It was also shorter than the last few and just felt less developed. Giving this series a pause for now but I plan to come back. I do like the treasure hunting duo - I just need a breather. 

The Solomon Curse

I liked this one a lot more than most because it wasn't some typical bad guy out to thwart the Fargos and steal the treasure first. It's just some rich CEO working with rebels to nationalize the Solomon Islands that happens to be getting in the way of the Fargos - which doesn't sound like much but it was a nice change. I also liked one of the new characters introduced, a Russian archaeologist who enlists the Fargos help when he discovers what appears to be a sunken city. The treasure hunt leads the team through several points in history - not just ancient times, which is interesting. A breath of fresh air in a series where the plots start to become stale. Genuinely excited for the next in the series. 

The Eye of Heaven

The Eye of Heaven takes readers back to Mexico, although this time the Fargos aren't looking for Mayan cities they are looking for evidence of Vikings. After they stumble on a pristinely preserved Viking ship carrying Toltec items - the Fargos know that everything they know about the Vikings is about to change. They actually made it to North America far before Christopher Columbus and had trade routes. What if they can find more proof and maybe the tomb of Quetzalcoatl? I enjoyed that the villain was a little different than normal - it was someone who wasn't after a specific treasure but was just after any treasure that the Fargos would find. Fun and implausible - I will keep reading this series!

The Mayan Secrets

Another fun action adventure book in the Fargo series. This time Same and Remi Fargo are vacationing in Mexico when a volcano disrupts their leisure time. While they are helping distribute medical supplies and food they discovered a Mayan tomb with a remarkable find, a Mayan codex - the most complete one ever found and one of only five. A rich European heiress will stop at nothing to get it in her quest to become an "archaeologist." The codex outlines Mayan temples and cities that have never been discovered. Who will discover the finds first? Fun, over the top, and pretty unbelievable, but still a good time. 

The Tombs

These aren't "great literature" but they are fun and I enjoy the audiobooks. This is the fourth adventure for Sam and Remi Fargo, the multimillion dollar amateur treasure hunting couple. One of their friends, a professor from Germany has found something spectacular in a field. It's a perfectly preserved battlefield filled with dead huns. Little does the professor know though, that he s being watched. When he is kidnapped they fear that he was on to something greater, Atilla the Hun's burial and treasure chamber. It quickly becomes a fast paced action adventure novel that has the Fargos racing across the European and Russian continent to find the treasure before some other unsavory types do. Entertaining - I will continue to read the series. 

The Kingdom

Sam and Remi Fargo, everyone's favorite treasure hunting couple, have been recruited by one of the wealthiest men in the world to help find one of his missing researcher. The researcher in question happens to be one of Sam and Remi's friends so they take the job and head out to Nepal. While there, they discover that their "employer" on this mission is not being entirely truthful and they may in fact have been recruited under nefarious circumstances. Sam and Remi Fargo find themselves trying to unravel several mysteries at once, who or what are they really searching for, and what will happen if they find it. Their latest adventure will take all over Tibet, Nepal, India, and China and the clues have never been more complex. Impossible puzzle boxes, evil twins, black market fossils, and gold coins make this an adventure they will never forget. 

Lost Empire

I would have followed this story soo much better had the audiobook discs six and nine not been mixed. Once I realized that - things finally came together. Extremely fast paced, filled with lots of historical trivia and knowledge and plenty of adventure. Husband and wife duo, Sam and Remi Fargo, are relaxing on the coast of Tanzania. While scuba diving they discover an old ship's bell and it kicks off a new adventure. While they think it's a fun mystery to look into, a corrupt official in Mexico takes the discovery as a serious threat and will do anything to stop the Fargos. Rather than they deter the couple, they launch on an adventure that will span continents and countries and cultures. Never a dull moment, though sometimes it would be nice if our protagonists weren't such rich know it alls. 

Spartan Gold

This is my first ever Clive Cussler - he's really popular at the library so I said screw it and decided to give one of his books a chance. Its not great literature but it's entertaining and fast paced. It's like a modern day uber-wealthy Indiana Jones going on adventures with his wife (if he had one). I liked the history aspect of it and it was fast paced - there is never a slow moment. Treasure hunting team Sam and Remy Fargo stumble upon a World War II German U-boat in in the Pocomoke Swamp - the fact that a German vessel made it inland with no one ever knowing is impressive but what is even more impressive is what they find inside - an old French wine bottle. Could it be part of Napoleon's lost cellar? They soon realize they aren't the only ones on the treasure hunt, Hadeon Bondaruk, a half Russian, half Persian millionaire will do whatever it takes to stop the Fargos and seize their research - could it be there is another layer to the mystery? Great listening for the car - I think I'll continue with the series.